Preview Wasteland 2 Gamescom Preview at Wasteland 2 Guru

[Lancehead]

My problem with it is that it seems that you never get to visit and know those places before making the decision, which means there would be no meaningful considerations in picking one place to save over the other. That can make the choice weightless and the consequence devoid of any impact, emotional or otherwise.

Why do you necessarily have to visit? A bit of information, even over the radio, could provide 'meaningful considerations' to the choice. Perhaps one town has a number of children and the other has a medical centre. Or one has a useful stash of weapons but the other has vital food and medical supplies. And then the choice would influence the future direction of the game. But even if we knew absolutely about the towns (unlikely I guess) I still prefer options to a railroad.

Because evidently the choice is weighty because whichever you choose, the other town gets wiped out. Resources can well be a consideration in the choice, but there are also lives of dozens of people hanging in the balance, and your decision affects them, which is why having personal interaction can be important. Of course, you might decide that resources are more important than any of the people, but at least then you're making that decision knowing the people. It would make a better choice to make.

Also, where did I advocate "a railroad"?

Must say I don't really get all the butthurt over this choice. Instead of being railroaded into the first few scenes you get alternate paths through the game, adding interest and replayability. But so many comments are along the lines of "why can't I save both" or "I want to visit them both before deciding". It's a desperate struggle for survival, one of these towns will get raped and minced, and no you can't have all the prizes.

As for attempting to save both towns, it really depends on how party-splitting is implemented. If it's a general mechanic, as opposed to a scripted event, then I don't see why the player shouldn't be allowed to split the party and try and save both towns. In fact, not allowing so would be a railroad.

 

[Jim the Dinosaur]

Although, now that I think of it, if this also prevents you from firing at other enemies who AREN'T close, then this is actually a pretty cool/interesting mechanic. "Sniper engagement".

That could be interesting, yeah. But as it is, I'm not really getting why you think the alternative is inability to shoot at all, or single digit to hit percentages. The W2 crew seems pretty proud of the fact that shooting from the hip without skill at an elephant standing next will still probably result in a hit. You could even add some extra penalties that weren't there in JA2, but I still highly doubt that you'd ever get into single digit territory.

 

[Infinitron]

The W2 crew seems pretty proud of the fact that shooting from the hip without skill at an elephant standing next will still probably result in a hit.

...which is probably why they don't want to let you do it with a sniper rifle, because then it would be overpowered.

There might be other solutions, but I don't mind this one.

 

[drae]

SO HYPED for this game! It sounds like they've done a really good job with it.

 

[Jim the Dinosaur]

The W2 crew seems pretty proud of the fact that shooting from the hip without skill at an elephant standing next will still probably result in a hit.

...which is probably why they don't want to let you do it with a sniper rifle, because then it would be overpowered.

There might be other solutions, but I don't mind this one.

That probably the reason, yeah. Oh well, they could've just made it slow as fuck to use, but whatevz.

 

[Grotesque]

fire the damn sniper rifle from hip position with reduced accuracy and let all the sadomasochists to be able to restart the battle 101 times until they are fully satisfied!

 

[Azrael the cat]

Codex complaining about a combat element being abstracted in a TB system

 

[Grunker]

Was the RPGCodex deal for a private screening to be the last out of the journo's to put out your demo impressions ?

Everybody seems to think we're paid money to do this crap. I can't wait till somebody starts paying me.

Anyway, we're waiting for sources to approve quotes that we don't have on tape.

Also, the faggots that cannot into abstraction are getting more and more vocal

 

[St. Toxic]

But you're able to use the rifle as a bludgeoning weapon right? And what about grappling someone with a sniper rifle? Is no-scope jump-sniping still in?

Maybe the inability of using a sniper rifle at short ranges is their way of simulating the sniper's tendency to scope out long-range targets, i.e completely missing the presence of units that are up in his face? It wouldn't make sense in every situation, but generally speaking, when you as a sniper get ambushed by some club-wielding raiders, you're much better off popping them with your sidearm or engaging them hand-to-hand rather than wasting bullets in trying to snipe them from the hip. Naturally, it doesn't sit right that it's completely impossible, but there may be reasons why the obvious solution of an AP penalty (hit% is given, but you still shouldn't be missing at point blank) isn't being used. If it was up to me, I'd make it so expensive on the AP side that nobody would really try going short-range with a sniper, but that if you were down to your last bullet and all you could do was try dropping someone three steps away, without aiming, it's pretty much guaranteed to work, though if he has friends they'd still get to fuck you up on the next turn.

But I'm fine with it tbh. Come short-range, just throw away your rifle, pull out your glock, pop pop pop drops the sucker, if he's from another hood I gots to shoot the motherfucker. Yeah, I'm in it to win and I can't quit. Fool, and ready to die for this shit.

 

[Vault Dweller]

The sniper rifle "design" is certainly disappointing. It's not like there is a shortage of quality material on the web, showing how sniper rifles work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuT6eIWdAqE

 

[Jim the Dinosaur]

As for attempting to save both towns, it really depends on how party-splitting is implemented. If it's a general mechanic, as opposed to a scripted event, then I don't see why the player shouldn't be allowed to split the party and try and save both towns. In fact, not allowing so would be a railroad.

This'd in fact make for a neat hard mode.

 

[Infinitron]

There is no general party splitting mechanic in Wasteland 2.

 

[MicoSelva]

I can't wait till somebody starts paying me.

I wouldn't count on it.

Looking forward to the preview.

 

[tuluse]

Everybody seems to think we're paid money to do this crap. I can't wait till somebody starts paying me.

Anyway, we're waiting for sources to approve quotes that we don't have on tape.

Also, the faggots that cannot into abstraction are getting more and more vocal

I like the fact the codex isn't trying to run in the rat race. Trying to be first just means doing a worse job.

 

[Lancehead]

As for attempting to save both towns, it really depends on how party-splitting is implemented. If it's a general mechanic, as opposed to a scripted event, then I don't see why the player shouldn't be allowed to split the party and try and save both towns. In fact, not allowing so would be a railroad.

This'd in fact make for a neat hard mode.

It can also facilitate some interesting C&C. Let's say the party splits and goes to save both towns. The move fails, both towns get wiped out, and the party takes severe losses (death of party members, spent resources etc.) and gets a big reputation loss with the Rangers for a job spectacularly failed. It's a soft failure (no "game over"), but can have significant impact on the party for the foreseeable future: Rangers unhappy, missing out on reward that might have been received had the party saved one of the towns, may have to suffer annoying NPCs in the party because of the death of one of player-created characters.

 

[St. Toxic]

I'd have to be in a pretty masochistic mood to let that situation play itself out, but who knows -- could be fun. Is it really, currently, a choice between saving 1 of 2 towns and the game over screen?

 

[undecaf]

Conflict resolution in Wasteland 2 is turn-based, using a square grid for movement and determining ranges.

Did they really change the hex grid to square grid, or is that a misinterpretation in the article?

 

[undecaf]

In the first gameplay presentation video they showed a hex grid.

 

[Excidium]

In the first gameplay presentation video they showed a hex grid.

Yeah just remembered that. Probably misinterpretation.

 

[Grotesque]

There is no general party splitting mechanic in Wasteland 2.

If this is true, Mr. Fargo lied to me.

 

[Infinitron]

There is no general party splitting mechanic in Wasteland 2.

If this is true, Mr. Fargo lied to me.

Take it up with Brother None

In the first gameplay presentation video they showed a hex grid.

Yeah just remembered that. Probably misinterpretation.

It's not a misinterpretation. They changed it.

 

[undecaf]

There is no general party splitting mechanic in Wasteland 2.

If this is true, Mr. Fargo lied to me.

Take it up with Brother None

In the first gameplay presentation video they showed a hex grid.

Yeah just remembered that. Probably misinterpretation.

It's not a misinterpretation. They changed it.

Was there any explanation on why?

 

[Excidium]

In the first gameplay presentation video they showed a hex grid.

Yeah just remembered that. Probably misinterpretation.

It's not a misinterpretation. They changed it.

 

[Jim the Dinosaur]

Was there any explanation on why?

Does W2 use the same engine as AoD? VD said that they had to switch from hexes to squares too because of some weird engine limitation.

 

[Grunker]

W2 is unity, AoD is Torque.